Rotatable chance device



Aug. 3, 1965 w. E. PARKS ROTATABLE CHANCE DEVICE Filed March 18, 1963WILLIAM E. PARKS INVENTOR ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,193,522RGTATABLE CHANCE DEVECE William E. Parks, Rte. 1, Box 249, Edgewood, Md.Filed Mar. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 265,625 6 Qlaims. (Ci. 273142) Thisinvention relates generally to amusement mechanisms, and moreparticularly to a chance device of the Wheel type.

Cube dice require a smooth surface and rolling room to be effective. Thecharacter of the surface too is important, a polished area causing thedice to slide instead of rolling. The magnetic dice of the presentinvention require no choice surface or extended area for operation beingoperable any-where, including in the hand, on a desk, table, blanket,floor or practically anywhere.

An object of this invention, therefore, is to provide a device having apair of dice which can be sealed at the factory and so are tamperp-roof.To provide a dice system which cannot be lost in play, for example, downa ventilating grill or water drain, is yet another object of thisinvention.

An important object of this invention is to provide a dice type gamewhich can readily be palmed and which is operable by the thumb of theholding hand in the manner of stroking a pocket cigarette lighter wheel.

Other objects and attend-ant advantages of this invention will becomemore readily apparent and understood from the following detailedspecification and accompanying single sheet of drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an approximately full sized perspective view of the magneticdice game incorporating features of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the dice game with top cover partly broken away;

FIG. 3 is a vertical section taken on line 33 of PEG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail of a thumb wheel arrangementtaken on line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary detail view of the underside of thetop-cover showing the thumb wheel spring arrangement;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the underside of a disc for the dicegame; and a FIG. 7 is a top view of a pair of discs for the dice game asadapted for a horse racing play.

vReferring now to the details of the invention as shown in FIGS. 1, 2and 6, the dice game or device it com- =prises a fiat rectangular topcover 1 2 which is sealed to the sides 18 of a shallow box. A pair ofspaced rectangular aperture-s or windows 14 and 16 are formed throughthe cover 1-2. A notch provided in the top edge of one side 18 of thebox forms a slot 19 in conjunction with the cover 12 to allow the edgeof a thumb wheel 49 to protrude from the interior.

As best shown in FIG. 4, this thumb wheel 4% is s cured on a shaft 42and captivated by shaft retaining cavities comprising a blind pivot hole48 in the bottom 13 of the box and an elongated blind recess 46 in thetop cover 12 thereof.

A pair of spaced discs 20 and are provided similarly with shafts 22 and32, respectively, and are captivated in blind pivot holes as shown inFIG. 3 for free rotation in a common plane closely spaced under thecover 12. In this manner, dice markings on the top of each disc 20 and30 as shown will appear successively through the windows :14 and 16 asthe discs 26 and 3! respectively, are rotated.

To position these markings centrally in the windows 14 and 15, and toprovide a positive step, each disc 20 and 30 is provided with a circulararray of downwardly extending equally spaced fingers 24 and 34 offerrous metal equal in number to the dice insignia groups (in this casesix). A pair of magnets 26 and 28, and 36and' 38 are positioned toattract diametrically spaced fingers 24 for each discs 2! and 30,respectively. a

The peripheral edge 44 of the thumb wheel 4% is roughened or rubberizedand when stroked with the thumb is canted inwardly against the edgesof'the discs 24 and 3t applying a spin thereto which continues byflywheel effect after the thumb is removed. This is made possible by aspring 50 of leaf or wire type which is retained around a post 52 andbehind another post 54 as shown in FIG. 5, thus urging the shaft 42 ofthe thumb wheel in the elongated recess 46 in a direction to breakthumbwheel contact with the discs.

As each disc 2t), 3t) slows down, it is brought to. a positive stop bythe magnetically attracted egments 24, 34 and magnet pairs 26, 23 and36, 3 8 and thusly held stationary so the dice insignia are clearly andwholly visible through the windows 14 and 16.

Many variations of the game or device it can be accomplished by a simplechange of insignia on the discs, such as a horse racing game depicted onthe discs 64 and 7th in FIG. 7. 0f course, the number of fingers 2d arechanged to correspond to the number of insignia work ings 65 and 76 sothat positive stopping thereof in the windows 14 and 16 will bemagnetically accomplished as related for the first example.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention arepossible in light of the above teachings. "It is, therefore, to beunderstood that within the scope of the appended claims the inventionmay be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

a What is claimed is:

'1. A game device, comprising, structure defining a housing having a topand a bottom with a pair of spaced Windows provided in the top thereof,one side of said housing having a slot provided therein, means includinga rotatably mounted thumbwheel cantably positioned in said housing andprotruding from the interior thereof through said slot in said housingto the exterior thereof, a pair of spaced discs rotatably mounted insaid housing in a common plane with said thurn-bwheel and engageablethereby and spaced between said top and bottom of said housing, meansfor biasing said thumbwheel out of engagement with said spaced dism,each said disc having a number of markings on the top thereof arrangedto appear successively through its respective window in the top of saidhousing, each said disc having a circular array of downwardly extendingequally spaced fingers formed of ferrous metal equal in number to themarkings on the top of its respective disc, and means including a pairof magnets positioned to attract diametrically spaced fingers for eachdisc for braking and stopping thereof.

2. A game device, comprising, structure defining a housing having a topand a bottom with a pair of spaced windows provided in the top thereof,one side of said housing having a notch provided therein adjacent saidtop thereof, means including a rotatably mounted thumbwheel cantablypositioned in said housing and protruding from the interior thereofthrough said notch in said housing to the exterior thereof, a pair ofspaced discs rotatably mounted in said housing in a common plane withsaid thumbwheel en-gageable thereby and spaced between said top andbottom of. said housing, means for biasing said thumbwheel out ofengagement with said spaced discs, each said disc having a number ofmarkings on the top thereof arranged to appear successively through itsrespective window in the top of said housing, each said disc having acircular array of downwardly extending equally spaced fingers formed offerrous metal equal in number to the markings on the top of itsrespective disc, means including a pair of magnets positioned to attract3 diametrically spaced fingers for each disc, whereby when saidthumbwheel engages said spaced discs by being canted inwardly againstthe edges thereof and is rotated, said discs can be spun and willcontinue to spin by flywheel effect after the release of saidthumbwheel, with each said disc being braked and stopped by itsrespective magnetic means to clearly and Wholly disclose a markingthrough its respective Window in the top of said housing.

3. A magnetic dice game, comprising, structure defining a housing havinga top and a bottom with a pair of spaced windows provided in the topthereof, one side of said housing having a slot provided therein, meansincluding a rotatably mounted thumbwheel cantably positioned in saidhousing and protruding from the interior thereof through said slot insaid housing to the exterior thereof, a pair of spaced discs rotatablymounted in said housing in a common plane with said thurnbwheel andenga-gea-ble thereby and spaced between said top and bottom of saidhousing, means for biasing said thumbwheel out of engagement with saidspaced discs, each said disc having a number of dice insignia markingson the top thereof arranged to appear succesively through its respectivewindow in the top of said housing, each said disc having a circulararray of downwardly extending equally spaced fingers formed of ferrousmetal equal innumber to the dice insignia mar-kings on the top of itsrespective disc, and means including a pair of magnets positioned toattract diametrically spaced fingers for each disc, for braking andstopping thereof.

4. A magnetic type dice game, comprising, structure defining a housinghaving a top and a bottom with a pair of spaced windows provided in theupper top thereof, one side of said housing having a notch providedtherein adjacent said top thereof, means including a rotatably mountedthumb-wheel cantably positioned in said housing and protruding from theinterior thereof through said notch in said housing to the exteriorthereof, a pair of spaced discs rotatably mounted in said housing in acommon plane with said thumbwheel and engageable thereby and spacedbetween said top and bottom of said housing, means for biasing saidthumbWhee-l out of engagement with said spaced discs, each said dischaving a number of dice insignia markings on the top thereof arranged toappear successively through its respective window in the top of saidhousing, each said disc having an array of downwardly extending equallyspaced fingers formed of ferrous metal equal in number to the diceinsignia markings on the top of its respective disc, and means includinga pair of magnetic elements positioned to attract diametrically spacedfingers for each disc for braking and stopping thereof.

5. A game device, comprising, structure defining a housing having a topand a bottom with at least one window provided in the top thereof, oneside of said housing having a slot provided therein, means including arotatably mounted thurnbwheel cantably positioned in said housing andprotruding from the interior thereof through said slot in said housingto the exterior thereof, at least one disc rotatably mounted in saidhousing with said thumbwheel and engageable thereby and spaced betweensaid top and bottom of said housing, means for biasing said thumbwheelout of engagement with said disc, said disc having a number of markingson the top thereof arranged to appear through its window in the top ofsaid housing, said disc having a circular array of downwardly extendingequally spaced fingers formed of ferrous metal equal in number to themarkings on the top of the disc, and means including a pair of magnetspositioned to attract diametrically spaced fingers for said disc forbraking and stopping thereof.

6. A game device, comprising, structure defining a housing having a topand a bottom with at least one window provided in the top thereof, oneside of said housing having a notch provided therein adjacent said topthereof, means including a rotatably mounted thumbwheel cantablypositioned in said housing and protruding from the interior thereofthrough said notch in said housing to the exterior thereof, at least onedisc rotatably mounted in said housing with said thumbwheel engageablethereby and spaced between said top and bottom of said housing, meansfor biasing said thumbwheel out of engagement with said disc, said dischaving a number of markings on the top thereof arranged to appearthrough the Window in the top of said housing, said disc having acircular array of downwardly extending equally spaced fingers formed offerrous metal equal in number to the markings on the top of the disc,means including a pair of magnets positioned to attract diametricallyspaced fingers for said disc, whereby when said thumbW-heel engages saiddisc by being canted inwardly against the edges thereof and is rotated,said disc can be spun and will continue to spin by flywheel effect afterthe release of said thumbwheel, with said disc being braked and stoppedby its magnetic means to clearly and Wholly disclose a marking throughsaid window in the top of said housing.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 474,188 5/92Rabiger 273-142 2,039,969 5/ 36 McIntosh 273l43 2,183,506 12/39 Robinson273-142 2,208,351 7/40 Von Berg 273-142 FOREIGN PATENTS 5,316 1890 GreatBritain. 571,666 9/45 Great Britain.

RICHARD C. PIN-KHAM, Primary Examiner, DELBERT B. LOWE, Examiner.

5. A GAME DEVICE, COMPRISING, STRUCTURE DEFINING A HOUSING HAVING A TOPAND A BOTTOM WITH AT SEAT ONE WINDOW PROVIDED IN THE TOP THEREOF, ONESIDE OF SAID HOUSING HAVING A SLOT PROVIDED THEREIN, MEANS INCLUDING AROTATABLY MOUNTED THUMBWHEEL CANTABLY POSITIONED IN SAID HOUSING ANDPROTRUDING FROM THE INTERIOR THEREOF THROUGH SAID SLOT IN SAID HOUSINGTO THE EXTERIOR THEREOF, AT LEAST ONE DISC ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAIDHOUSING WITH SAID THUMBWHEEL AND ENGAGEABLE THEREBY AND SPACED BETWEENSAID TOP AND BOTTOM OF SAID HOUSING, MEANS FOR BIASING SAID TUMBWHEELOUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID DISC, SAID DISC